Best of wedge issue: Bush backs gay marriage ban

Back to Story - Help Bush backs amendment banning gay marriage By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press WriterFri Jun 2, 10:47 AM ET President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on the cause that is dear to his conservative backers. The amendment would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in the Senate and House, and then be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures. It stands little chance of passing the 100-member Senate, where proponents are struggling to get even 50 votes. Several Republicans oppose the measure, and so far only one Democrat — Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska — says he will vote for it. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the amendment on May 18 along party lines after a shouting match between a Democrat and the chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa. He bid Sen. Russ Feingold (news, bio, voting record), D-Wis., "good riddance" after Feingold declared his opposition to the amendment and his intention to leave the meeting. Bush aides said he would be making his remarks on the subject Monday. A slim majority of Americans oppose gay marriage, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press from March. But the poll also showed attitudes are changing: 63 percent opposed gay marriage in February 2004. Those poll results don't reflect how people might feel about amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage. The Massachusetts Supreme Court decided to legalize such marriages in 2003. A year later, San Francisco issued thousands of marriage licenses to gay couples. This November, initiatives banning same-sex marriages are expected to be on the ballot in Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. In 2004, 13 states approved initiatives prohibiting gay marriage or civil unions, with 11 states casting votes on Election Day. Bush benefited as religious conservatives turned out to vote and helped him defeat Democratic Sen. John Kerry in 2004. In Ohio, an initiative rejecting the legality of civil unions won handily. The same state tipped the election to Bush. "The president firmly believes that marriage is an enduring and sacred institution between men and women and has supported measures to protect the sanctity of marriage," White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said. Bush has lost support among conservatives who blame the White House and Congress for runaway government spending, illegal immigration and lack of action on social issues such as the gay marriage amendment. Opponents of the amendment objected to Bush promoting a measure they said amounts to discrimination. "This is fundamentally both a civil rights and religious freedom issue and the president's position of supporting amending the constitution is just dead wrong," said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "This is simply to give ammunition to the so-called religious right just to show that the president is still with them." I wonder how dumb are the religious right, once Bush got "re-elected" the issue of gay marriage ban faded faster than a cheap t-shirt in the wash. If you're one of those people who voted for Bush just on this issue. I have some bad news for you people George W. Bush don't give a damn about gay marriage heck I bet the smirk watch a porno with two girls were getting it on not too long ago. The Republicans know they can't win on the issues so to draw out that 5 to 10% of the population that could tip the election in their favor so the GOP panders to the racists, the religious nuts and the pro life nuts or as I now call them the social retards. And now when it looks like the GOP are in danger of getting their asses kicked out of power they're bringing this issue up once again to save some face. Ok Rove you're probably are going to get that 5 to 6% where you're going to get the other percentage vote from since George W. Bush and the firewall like GOP congress have alienateted even the hardest core GOPer.